Research Payloads to Support Long-Duration Spaceflight and Improve Osteoarthritis and Cancer Treatment Return From Space Station

NASA's latest SpaceX resupply mission to the space station returns with ISS National Lab-sponsored projects advancing biomedical R&D, technology development, and physical sciences

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla., May 27, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- ELVIS is back. Samples from the Extant Life Volumetric Imaging System (ELVIS)—a new holographic microscope—have returned from the International Space Station (ISS). The samples splashed down off the coast of California alongside more than two dozen other investigations sponsored by the ISS National Laboratory®. Experiments returning on SpaceX's 32nd commercial resupply services mission for NASA include a project to manufacture nanomaterials in space to treat osteoarthritis and cancer on Earth and several investigations funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF).

These are a few highlights of the investigations that returned to Earth for further study to benefit humanity:

• Using innovative holographic technology, ELVIS delivers detailed 3D views of cellular life, allowing scientists to study the adaptability and resilience of life under extreme conditions. Findings could reveal how life might persist on distant moons and planets, potentially enhancing the search for life beyond Earth. Portland State University, in collaboration with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California and Teledyne Brown Engineering, Inc., tested the advanced microscope system onboard the orbiting laboratory. A collection of samples examined on the space station returned for further analysis so the team can determine ELVIS' next steps in space.
  
  
• Researchers from the University of Connecticut and Eascra Biotech, with support from Axiom Space, built on previous research to improve the production of innovative nanomaterials in space. Janus base nanomaterials (JBNs) are composed of synthetic molecules that self-assemble into structures resembling human DNA. The injectable nanomaterials could help regenerate cartilage in the joints of osteoarthritis patients and could be used to carry cancer drugs into hard-to-penetrate solid tumors. The team's groundbreaking research is featured in the most recent issue of Upward, official magazine of the ISS National Lab.
  
  
• A project that is part of a series of investigations developed by the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Air Force Academy, in partnership with Rhodium Scientific, examined how genetically modified tomato plants grow in the space environment. The team aimed to better understand how genetic modifications and gene expression changes influence root and shoot development. The researchers will compare results from this experiment with those from investigations on the Polaris Dawn and NASA's SpaceX Crew-9 missions, which featured the same Rhodium plant growth hardware. Findings could provide insights into the production of crops on long-duration space missions or in high-radiation environments.
  
  
• An experiment from Sophie's BioNutrients, supported by BioServe Space Technologies, aims to develop plant-based, protein-rich alternatives to meat and seafood using microalgae. The investigation examined how microgravity affects protein yields in microalgae that require nutrition from organic compounds to grow. Results could provide insights into the fundamental mechanisms of microalgae cell growth, metabolism, and protein production. In addition to serving as a food source on long-duration spaceflight missions, microalgae could also be used in life support systems and to provide oils for fuel production.
  
  
• Four investigations funded by NSF seek to advance fundamental science with valuable applications, continuing a strong, multiyear collaboration between NSF and the ISS National Lab. One of these projects, from Lehigh University, could enable the next generation of portable microfluidic devices that use bioseparation for virus detection. This process, which separates particles from fluids, relies on thermophoresis—the tendency of particles suspended in a solution to move from hot to cold regions along a temperature gradient. Bioseparation can be used in medical lab tests to detect the presence of a virus by separating virus particles from bodily fluids in samples.

To learn more about these projects and others that launched on this resupply mission, please visit our launch page. For additional information on the ISS National Lab and its mission to enable R&D in space for the benefit of humanity, see our website.

Download a high-resolution image for this release: NASA's SpaceX CRS-32

About the International Space Station (ISS) National Laboratory:
The International Space Station (ISS) is a one-of-a-kind laboratory that enables research and technology development not possible on Earth. As a public service enterprise, the ISS National Laboratory® allows researchers to leverage this multiuser facility to improve quality of life on Earth, mature space-based business models, advance science literacy in the future workforce, and expand a sustainable and scalable market in low Earth orbit. Through this orbiting national laboratory, research resources on the ISS are available to support non-NASA science, technology, and education initiatives from U.S. government agencies, academic institutions, and the private sector. The Center for the Advancement of Science in Space® (CASIS®) manages the ISS National Lab, under Cooperative Agreement with NASA, facilitating access to its permanent microgravity research environment, a powerful vantage point in low Earth orbit, and the extreme and varied conditions of space. To learn more about the ISS National Lab, visit our website.

As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, CASIS accepts corporate and individual donations to help advance science in space for the benefit of humanity. For more information, visit our donations page.

SOURCE International Space Station National Lab